Norwegian state-owned energy company Equinor has entered into an agreement with compatriot energy data and intelligence company TGS to advance the digitalization of carbon capture and storage (CCS) operations under which TGS’ technology will be integrated into the Northern Lights CO2 transport and storage development.
As part of the collaboration, Northern Lights will integrate TGS’ Prediktor Data Gateway into its digital system to enhance management of the full CO2 value chain, from the receiving terminal to permanent storage. The software is said to enable more efficient operations and informed decision-making across the entire CCS process by delivering real-time, reliable data.
According to TGS, the technology supports critical areas such as simulation, capacity planning, CO2 tracking, emissions and financial reporting, permitting, compliance, trading, audits, and health and safety, allowing Northern Lights to streamline workflows, reduce risk, and ensure regulatory alignment, thereby creating greater transparency.
“This collaboration highlights TGS’ dedication to innovation and delivering data-driven solutions that support operational excellence across the energy sector. We are thrilled to deepen our collaboration with Equinor to advance carbon capture and storage (CCS),” said Will Ashby , Executive Vice President of New Energy Solutions at TGS.
“By leveraging our digital expertise, we’re proud to offer a comprehensive suite of tools and insights, from storage prospecting to subsurface mapping and monitoring, ensuring the success and safety of carbon storage facilities.”
Northern Lights constitutes the transport, reception and storage part of Norway’s Longship full-scale CCS project, initiated by the Norwegian government and designed to demonstrate large-scale CO2 capture, transport, and storage.
Captured and liquefied CO2 from customers’ sites is transported by ship to the onshore receiving terminal at Øygarden, then further transported via pipeline to a storage in the Aurora reservoir 2,600 meters under the North Sea seabed.
Northern Lights JV partners Equinor, Shell and TotalEnergies announced on March 27 the final investment decision (FID) for the expansion project which will increase the transport and storage capacity from 1.5 million to at least 5 million tons of CO2 per year.
The project includes expanding the onshore terminal at Øygarden with a new jetty, constructing additional storage tanks and increasing the pump capacity, while the number of offshore injection wells will be increased from two to four.
In May, it was confirmed that all the required permits are in place to start injecting and storing CO2 in the Aurora CCS license. Phase one is completed, fully booked and ready to receive CO2 from industrial customers. Operations are scheduled to begin in the second half of the year.